Sports agent great David Falk spoke Wednesday night in the Marshall Student Center Oval Theater to hundreds of people to close out the USF Sports and Entertainment Lecture Series, sponsored by Fox Sports Florida and Tampa Bay Lightning.

“This is a gentleman who’s real-ly transformed an industry,” said Abe Madkour, an executive edi-tor from Sports Business Journal/Sports Business Daily. “Someone like David only comes along once in a generation.”

Falk established himself as one of the most influential basketball agents in NBA history, represent-ing as many as 40 players at once during the prime of his career. Falk also oversaw the only NBA contract worth over $30 million for a single season.

That milestone was the peak of Falk’s career-long representation of Michael Jordan, who signed the deal with the Chicago Bulls for the

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InsIde thIs Issue

Montage

SPORTSBulls look to No. 2 UConn after blowing out SMU. BACK

LIFESTYLESmartphone apps to help beat stress. Page 4

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The Index

Iconic sports agent traces path to the top By Zach Lowie S T A F F W R I T E R

David Falk (left) spoke Wednesday evening at the Marshall Student Center Oval Theater about his experience as an agent representing Michael Jordan in the NBA. ORACLE PHOTO/SEBASTIAN CONTENTOn See AGENT on PAGE 3

A billboard on Fowler Avenue this week stated “10,000 students silenced” showing the image of a person with tape over his mouth. The sign continued with “End USF investments in Israeli apartheid,” and included a link to the website for

USF student organization Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). Last May, the Investment Committee of the USF Foundation rejected SJP’s petition for divestment from companies allegedly connected to human rights violations in the Israel-Palestine conflict and decided not to review the issue again. SJP claimed 10,000 students signed the petition and that the university is effectively ignoring the will of its students. A USF spokesman said the Foundation helps fund a public university that does not

take sides of political issues and does not change investment policies based on requests. ORACLE PHOTO / WESLEY HIGGINS

Speaking up

T H U R S DAY, J A N UA RY 1 5 , 2 0 1 5 ● T H E O R AC L E 2

Meditation class helps student stay mindful of stress

“Mindfulness mediation” is a term talked about every-where from drum circles to corporate gatherings. It is a practice in which one attempts to be observant and non-judg-mental of his or her thoughts, emotions and sensations in order to focus awareness of the present moment.

There are now more than 20 million Americans who practice meditation in order to reduce stress, pain and anxi-ety, according to a National Health Interview Survey. There has also been research that suggests mindfulness medita-tion can have physical, tan-gible benefits.

Now a twice-weekly group at the USF Counseling Center is bringing mindfulness to USF students.

Amanda Schwait, a USF mindfulness meditation group leader and post-doctoral fel-low at the Counseling Center, said that the sessions offer college students a time to set aside for relaxation, which can often be rare with the conflict-ing pressures of student and social life.

“Students have so many stressors in their day-to-day: a constant stream of homework and social interactions and

social media,” she said. “The group allows those students to just come in and be really focused and aware of what’s going on inside of them.”

Schwait also said that the practice could influence the rest of students’ lives out-side of meditation. She said, “There’s a lot of concerns and a lot stressors that happen deve lopmen -tally during college, and I think (medita-tion) allows people to just slow down a little bit, maybe be able to take some of the non-j u d g m e n t a l m i n d f u l n e s s and awareness and just plug it into the rest of their day.”

Diego Hernandez, a USF assistant professor with a doc-torate in psychology, has prac-ticed mindfulness meditation since his college years.

“When I was in undergrad, I was a triple major with a Greek minor,” he said. “I was involved in a lot of activi-ties and a lot of stress, and I decided to reduce it to a double major to finish … but it’s one of those things that I found beneficial for relaxing

and regaining my focus.” Cecile Lengacher, a USF

professor at the College of Nursing working with the Moffitt Cancer Center, also practices informal mindful-ness meditation as much as several times a week.

She said it has decreased stress and anxiety in her per-

sonal life, along with increas-ing her ability to focus. Lengacher’s experience has paralleled the positive results seen in her research.

“It makes you focus,” she said. “If you have a conversa-tion, it makes you focus on the conversation.”

Lengacher also said mind-fulness meditation can be either informal when incorpo-rated into daily life, or formal, such as in a class setting. Schwait said she informs USF

students of both aspects of meditation.

“We call it a meditation practice because, just like any-thing, you have to practice,” she said. “That could just be looking at the sky while you’re walking to class, or if some-body says something annoy-ing, before you react, taking

a deep breath and paying attention to what thoughts are coming up to you. I definitely talk about how you don’t have to sit silently for half an hour to be practicing.”

Le n g a c h e r said medi-tation also d e c r e a s e s stress hor-

mone levels in the body, lead-ing to a decrease in harmful inflammation.

“If we can decrease our stress hormones, this will actu-ally make us more healthy,” she said. “One thing to think about when being mindful and paying attention, it will decrease your stress.”

Mindfulness meditation also tackles stress by blending traditional Buddhist methods with non-religious stress relief, Hernandez said.

“It is more secular; the mindfulness tends to take the core teachings of Buddhist philosophy and puts them into a practical exercise,” he said.

Hernandez said the prac-tice is accessible for students who still feel that it conflicts with their religion, suggesting they try contemplative scrip-ture that relates to their own practice.

“One of the great things is it’s not centering your thoughts on Buddha,” he said. “It’s centering your thoughts on your own experience. That part is between you and your deity.”

Hernandez also said mind-fulness meditation allows those who practice to discon-nect from a consumption-based society.

“It’s a way to kind of get underneath all the clutter and to let all of the clutter go,” he said. “To just kind of focus on who you are, where you’re at and what’s going on.”

Hernandez said meditation allows those who practice to tap into something deeper.

“It’s something that gets us in touch with the core human experience,” he said.

The drop-in “Mindfulness Meditation” sessions are held in the USF Counseling Center on Tuesdays from 3-4 p.m. and Wednesdays from 2-3 p.m.

By Chelsea MulliganS T A F F W R I T E R

“We call it a meditation practice because, just like anything, you have to practice. That could just be looking at the sky while you’re walking

to class, or if somebody says something annoying, before you react, taking a deep

breath and paying attention to what thoughts are coming up to you.”

Amanda SchwaitUSF Mindfulness Meditation Group Leader

It’s true that teens often make fun of overweight peers, but a teen’s motivation to lose weight may have nobler under-lying reasons than avoiding ridicule or impressing others.

A recent study surveyed around 30 adolescents who successfully lost at least 10 pounds and maintained their weight loss for more than a year.

Contrary to common pre-conceptions, the main motiva-tion for weight loss among the adolescents was the desire for

better health and self-worth, rather than to impress peers.

Diana Rancourt, a USF pro-fessor with a doctorate in clin-ical psychology, collaborated on the study and based her findings from her studies in the university area.

“The adolescents had the intrinsic motivation to lose weight and to encour-age changes in their environ-ment,” Rancourt said. “There was a lot of initiative taken by the teens and we expected it to be more of a mutual process and more peer influence.”

People still think of adoles-cents as being influenced by their family and other friends,

so the independence of the teens in the study was an interesting find.

“The teens made the deci-sion to lose weight; it wasn’t their mom and it wasn’t their friends,” Rancourt said.

Though the sample size among students for the study was small, Rancourt said she believes it’s enough to call for a cultural shift encouraging children to care more about their health for health’s sake.

“We have all this opportu-nity to engage is sedentary behavior, so our best bet is to shift back and make our lives more engaged with the environment around us rather

than the virtual environment we have,” Rancourt said, refer-ring to the technology most modern teens have, such as tablets, smartphones and gam-ing systems.

Nowadays, teens are more likely to be glued to their new iPad tablet or Xbox, rather than go outside.

Rancourt said the study shows a difference between adult weight loss and adoles-cent weight loss.

“The most popular times according to the study for ado-lescents to make changes in weight are transitional times,” Rancourt said. “For example, from middle school to high

school and high school to col-lege.”

Adolescents go through many transitions and changes in life in a short period of time compared to adults, such as the step up from middle school to high school and even high school to college, so it is important to see how they handle themselves.

“It’s a different developmen-tal period for teens because while the parents buy food for the house, the teens still have the money and autonomy to go to McDonalds,” she said. “There is a weird mix of teen independence and responsibil-

Study finds teens don’t lose weight to impress peersBy Amar Rele S T A F F W R I T E R

n See TEENS on PAGE 4

T H U R S DAY, J A N UA RY 1 5 , 2 0 1 5 ● T H E O R AC L E 3

1997-98 season. Falk spent much of the lecture

explaining how he ended up mak-ing a name in the sports industry before big money was the name of the game.

After years of being underpaid, Falk negotiated a $33 million con-tract for Jordan — for that year alone — where he would lead the team to its sixth championship in Jordan’s career.

Falk grew up in a middle-class home in New York where he lived with his family for most of his childhood.

“I always knew I didn’t want to be an astronaut or a firefighter,” Falk said. “But my classmates said they could see me as a lawyer.”

Entering George Washington University law school in 1975, Falk struggled to find an agency that would hire him even part-time to gain experience.

Agencies seemed to only want

someone with specific skills rather than Falk’s larger than life ambi-tions.

“All the interviewers would say ‘you’re a one man show,’” Falk said. “’We’re not hiring people with your minimal qualifications here.’”

Falk soon found himself working at the one agency that would give him a shot, ProServ Inc. Though that shot only paid a $13,000 annual salary.

“I was making less than the sec-retaries,” Falk said.

However, Falk had the inside track with University of North Carolina recruiting. The likes of James Worthy and Michael Jordan soon showed up at his door hoping to be represented.

“(Michael Jordan) allowed me to tell him whatever I thought was right,” Falk said. “I would say ‘yes, you’re Michael Jordan but you can’t do this.’”

Outside of salary contracts, Falk has been a major part of endorse-ment deals, especially in personal shoe lines, such as Air Jordan.

In a time when designer lines

were the craze, Falk said he faced challenges getting approval for Jordan’s own line.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Falk said. “Nike didn’t think that giving (Jordan) his own line was worth the risk of production just to flop in the stores. It was something that had never been done.”

Nike and Falk agreed on $500,000 and a small cut of rev-enue, matching rival Adidas’ offer.

Market experts predicted Air Jordan would produce a few mil-lion dollars in several years, but instead Nike made $130 million in sales in its first year on the shelves. Today, the deal is often considered the best marketing bargain for any major company in U.S. history.

Falk went on to start his own company, Falk Associates Management Enterprises, where he changed the salary structure of the NBA during the late 90s and early 2000s, even negotiating more than $400 million in free agent contracts during a six-day period in 1998.

In addition to Jordan’s contract,

Falk headed the first $100 mil-lion contract in all of professional sports for Alonzo Mourning in 1996. Besides Jordan, Falk has represented more than 100 other NBA players throughout his time as a sports agent.

“When I put my uniform on, my suit, I’m very competitive and very aggressive. Everyone assumes that that’s my attitude off the court, but that’s not the case at all,” Falk said. “Even though you have the ability to stomp on someone’s throat, you just don’t need to do that.”

Despite a lifetime of success, Falk has yet to retire and teaches at the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics at Syracuse University.

“I try to tell my students at Syracuse that if you look at a pie chart in terms of sports revenue, an agent is the slimmest piece,” he said. “Don’t go into the agent busi-ness if you’re looking for financial success or stability.”

Falk encouraged students to fol-low their dreams and never give up on what they want to do.

“With my skill set, I don’t think I could be hired anywhere today,” Falk said. “Now these enormous companies are looking for special-ists to work for them. You’ve got to find that specialty moving forward and run with it. I’ve always lived my life by the saying ‘always shoot for the stars and never settle for second best.’”

AGENTContinued from PAGE 1

LifestyLeU N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I D A ● T H U R S D A Y, J A N U A R Y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5 ● T H E O R AC L E4

Four apps to keep stress levels lowBy Polly Snover A S S T . E D I T O R

Students all over campus and the world experience stress on a daily basis. Whether it’s from classes or relationships, everyone has a way to keep stress levels down. There are many ways to prevent stress and stay better organized dur-ing the semester. With these options, students will have a better chance of staying on top of those crazy assignments.

Relax Melodies: Sleep and Yoga

Relax Melodies can be used in many different ways. Unlike many apps, the app serves a range of purposes, so it can be utilized very individually by the user. The user can mix melo-dies to create a personalized relaxation tune. Relax Melodies can be used for yoga, medita-tion or any occasion when the user wants peace. There are over 46 sounds to create the melodies, and a sleep timer so the app will shut down by itself. This app is free and available on the iTunes app store and Google Play.

Smash the Office – Stress Fix

Smash the Office is another free app on Google Play and iTunes. This app is a great way to remove stress without actu-ally breaking anything in the office. Play as Steve Snaps and tear down the virtual office as much as needed to relieve stress. There are other apps created by the game designer Tuokio Oy, including Smash the Mall and Smash the School. Apps such as Smash the Office are a good way to keep your mind off stressful situations such as late school work, though it is not a substitution for studying and homework.

Stress Buster

Stress Buster is another stress relieving game but dif-ferent than Smash the Office. Instead of smashing an office, one can release the anxiety by doodling and popping bubbles. The app contains more than 300 tips on reducing and con-trolling stress. Stress Buster app and the tips it holds will help one to keep the stress from becoming overwhelming. For years, people have been using bubble wrap to relieve their stress, and Stress Buster recreates that experience with less noise and mess.

Get Out of Stress

Get Out of Stress combines every sense of ridding oneself of anxiety. This app teaches others the symptoms of stress, which will help lower it in the long run. The app also aids in stress relief by showing ways to avoid anxiety and overcome. There is also a section that includes yoga, which has been used to help increase peace and calm for many years. There is a lot of good information on this free app from Google Play and iTunes.

ity.”Therefore, willpower fac-

tored heavily into the steps adolescents took toward weight loss by becoming active and eating healthier.

However, Rancourt said that though the adolescents in the study were independent in making decisions, parents did still play a factor in inspiring weight loss.

“Parents can change what’s in the household for food and make the options healthier, but ultimately it must be the adolescent that chooses what they want,” Rancourt said. “The best thing the parents can do is to make sure the teen has healthy options that they want.”

Students surveyed at USF had intrinsic motivation for staying fit, similar to those who lost weight in the study. Joe Mira, a senior at USF, praised the internal satisfac-tion that comes with staying in shape.

“Staying fit is healthy and helps with mental stability,” Mira said. “I was overweight as a little kid and it’s reward-ing because I can set a goal and achieve it and it’s like a journey.”

Dominique Williams, a sophomore, stays in shape for internal reasons as well.

“Diabetes runs in my family, so working out is important so the disease doesn’t catch up to us,” Williams said.

“In high school, I was over-weight and dealing with judg-mental people,” sophomore Rashaun Roofe said. “I thought I should take action.”

TEENSContinued from PAGE 2

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Opinion6

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the Oracle the University of South Florida’s student newspaper since 1966

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BY PHONE

Standards too high for high achievers

Browsing websites like College Confidential or IvyWise, both of which provide the ever-elusive details of how to get into that one dream school, is an easy way to see how college admis-sions has completely overtaken the country’s most high-achiev-ing students.

A recent Boston Globe col-umn asked why college appli-cants must be “so accomplished” in order to get accepted. It’s a strange phenomenon, since the most high-achieving students are those who should have to worry the least.

However, according to college counseling source Ivy Coach, Ivy League universities typically have a narrow acceptance rate of only about 6 to 12 percent. Yet,

applicants are brutally similar — many share outstanding academ-ic records, high SAT scores, and a variety of extracurricular activi-ties. These applicants may also be subject to the holistic review process, in which colleges con-sider a student’s interests rather than solely grades or test scores.

However, the competing need to both do well in school and be well rounded creates a sense of confusion and insecurity among high school seniors, which may permeate even earlier into the high school career.

For instance, if grades aren’t enough, the emphasis on extra-curriculars is, ultimately, not an honest way for students to devel-op their interests, rather means for another highly competitive area of criteria to eliminate oth-erwise qualified applicants.

In an effort to receive that acceptance letter, high school stu-dents may also force themselves to endure the immense pressure of leadership positions, volun-teer work and club membership while maintaining a high GPA. A Journal of Adolescent Health study even found that only 8 per-cent of high school students get a sufficient amount of sleep, which

could be the result of a crowded school schedule.

Obviously, such an obsessive compulsion toward over-working oneself is in no way conducive to being well-rounded; likewise, it’s absurd for colleges to pretend that a high-achieving student can be shaped without serious sac-rifices.

Community colleges and state schools offer a lower-pressure alternative, but these options often do not fulfill the desire of prestige and recognition that some students feel they deserve after many years of working incredibly hard.

Perhaps, then, there should be more of an emphasis on the interview process or on examin-ing creativity among applicants. Regardless, students will contin-ue to respond to the demands of seeking higher education as long as the current lifecycle of college applications continues. In the meantime, the country is left to wonder what long-term effects these high expectations will have on its youth.

Chelsea Mulligan is a freshman majoring in international studies.

C O L U M N I S T

Chelsea Mulligan

What you said Assistant multimedia editor Sebastian Contento asked students what they thought regarding the proposed

legislation that allows individuals with concealed weapon permits to carry guns on campus.

“I think everybody has the right to carry a gun, but not

in an educational place.”

— Mari Spainhoward, a freshman majoring in environmental science

“It is unnecessary and dangerous, and USF should

stay a safe place for learning.”

— Jordon Thomas, a freshman majoring in

health science

“I see no reason for it, we already have

University Police when there are threats.”

— Mads Andersen, a

sophomore majoring in psychology

“I’m from Norway, and we have very strict gun control law over there, so carrying guns in general is already

bad thing for me.”

— Aksel Olson, a junior majoring in health science

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Classifieds Crossword To place a classified ad go to http://www.usforacle.com/classifieds

FOR SALE/MISCELLANEOUS

HELP WANTED

Gymnastics and/or Swim Instructors Needed

Must Love Kids & Be Enthusiastic!Call 813.264-5000

Veterinary Tech/Assistant or Receptionist needed for animal hospital close to campus. Part-time or full-time. Experience a plus, but

will train. Email resume to acahhiring@gmail.com.

CLINICAL RESEARCH ASSISTANTFull-time for New Tampa clinical research

center. Must have good computer and

multi-tasking skills. Email resume: careers@jaeb.org EOE

M/F/V/D/DFWP.Email careers@jaeb.org

Happy New Year! Start the year off with a new job! We are seeking part-time customer service reps. Make your own schedule working 13-22 hours per week! $13.50/hr starting, plus

daily and weekly bonuses! Easy work, great environment!

Call (813) 988-5941 for more information.

LAB TECH ASSISTANT Needed. FT/PT positions. Near HCC Brandon Campus.

Gain science experience and work around classes. Experience not necessary. Work minimum 20 hours M-F, 8 am - 5 pm. $9/hr. E-mail work schedule availability and

resume to hr@randglabs.com. Email charles@randglabs.com

Used Luggage Sale This WeekendCome to Big Top Flea Market booth E404 for a great selection of used luggage. We

offer multi-piece sets and individual pieces.

SportsU N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I D A ● T H U R S D A Y, J A N U A R Y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5 ● T H E O R AC L E8

Tulsa (11-5, 4-0) at USF (7-10, 1-3)When: Saturday, 11 a.m.Where: USF Sun DomeTV/Radio: ESPNU, 1010 AM

TheRundown

Outside USFNASCAR driver Kurt Busch testified in court Tuesday that his ex-girlfriend is a trained assassin. She later said Wednesday that she is worried for his mental health and well-being.

Quick Facts

What to watch for

Men’s BasketballTwo teams in the top half of the AAC will match up when Cincinnati (11-4, 2-1) hosts Temple (12-6, 3-2) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

Women’s BasketballNo. 2 UConn will host USF at 1 p.m. Sunday. The two leaders of the AAC will match up on ESPN2.

Men’s Basketball

• Tamara Taylor made a career-high six 3-pointers in USF’s victory over SMU on Wednesday.

• The USF women’s basketball team looks to tie the school record for consecutive wins at nine when the Bulls match up with No. 2 UConn on Sunday.

Women’s Basketball

Bulls defeat Mustangs; prepare for champs

It took USF over nine minutes to reach double-digit scoring, but the Bulls were able to cruise to a 82-59 victory over SMU (4-12, 0-5) on Wednesday night in the Sun Dome.

With point guards Laura Marcos Canedo and Shalethia Stringfield resting due to nagging injuries, USF (14-3, 5-0) struggled on offense throughout the game, other than junior guard Courtney Williams and senior guard Tamara Taylor.

“We wanted to save Stringfield and Canedo just because Stringfield had an injection on Monday and Canedo is still hurt-ing from straining her knee at Tulane,” coach Jose Fernandez said. “We played the other two point guards, but we wanted a little bit more.”

Williams and Taylor did the bulk of the scoring, combining for 45 points on 16-for-28 shooting.

The rest of the team made only 13-of-55 shots.

But despite the slow offen-sive start for the Bulls, once they grabbed their first lead 10 minutes into the game, they never trailed

for the remaining 30 minutes. USF now looks ahead to an

anticipated matchup with No. 2 UConn in Storrs, Connecticut at 1 p.m. Sunday.

UConn has been one of the most dominant teams in all of sports over the last two decades, accumulating 701 wins since the 1994-95 season, giving them a winning percentage of 92.9 per-cent.

More recently, the Huskies have won at least 30 games in each of the last eight seasons while reach-ing the last six Final Fours.

“You’re chasing the dragon every year, that’s what we call it,” Fernandez said. “That’s why you coach, that’s why you build a pro-gram, and that’s our next step. We need a huge signature win.”

This year’s Huskies team start-ed the season with a dismantling of West Chester 114-26. Since then, UConn has averaged 88.8 points per game this season, with an average winning margin of 37.5 points.

But despite the Huskies’ gaudy numbers, Williams said the Bulls don’t view them any differently from other teams.

“No doubt in my mind I think we will beat them, for real,”

Williams said. “They’re human, just like us. People look at them and think they’re unstoppable, but we all put in the same time (in the gym). I don’t see why we can’t be the team to beat them.”

The Bulls travel to Storrs with a 14-3 record and an eight-game winning streak after knocking off SMU on Wednesday night.

Of USF’s three losses, two came from teams currently ranking in the top 10 and the third, St. John’s, is receiving votes.

With both teams undefeated in the conference, the winner of this marquee matchup can make a strong push for a conference championship.

By Vinnie Portell and Jacob HoagE D I T O R S

Men’s Basketball

AAC-leading Tulsa comes to town

The Bulls prepare for an impos-ing matchup Saturday when the AAC-leading Tulsa Golden Hurricane comes to town.

USF (7-10, 1-3) is coming off an overtime loss against Tulane in which both junior guard Anthony Collins and freshman center Ruben Guerrero missed game-winning shots in regulation.

Tulsa (11-5, 4-0) did not look promising at the beginning of the season, as it dropped its first game to Oral Roberts, which plays in the Summit League.

But ever since, the Golden Hurricane has been on a roll, win-ning 11 of 15 games and boasting

a 4-0 conference record. Leading Tulsa is former Missouri

basketball coach Frank Haith, who is in his first year as head coach.

Haith’s guard tandem — Shaquille Harrison and James Woodard — has driven Tulsa to the top of the conference stand-ings.

Both Harrison and Woodard average 15 points per game and are the clear-cut scorers on the team, with the next player averag-ing only eight points.

Harrison has used his 6-foot-4, 180-pound build to drive and slash to the rim, while Woodard has used his three-point shot to his advantage, making an average of 2.4 per game.

Woodard has shot 106 3-point-

ers and made 38, which is more than half the 3-pointers USF has made all season.

To knock Tulsa out of first place, the Bulls must stop the dynamic guard duo that Tulsa brings. In four out of Tulsa’s five losses, at least one of the two guards was held to under 10 points.

In addition to stopping the skilled guards, the Bulls will have their work cut out for them on offense.

USF has not scored at least 60 points since Dec. 28, in a loss to Bowling Green. In that span, it has gone 1-3, with losses to SMU, UConn and Tulane.

The Bulls host Tulsa at the Sun Dome on Saturday at 11 a.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.

By Amar ReleS T A F F W R I T E R

Senior guard Corey Allen Jr. leads USF in scoring with 15.5 points per game. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ SEBASTIAN CONTENTO

Tamara Taylor scored 18 points on only eight shots Wednesday night. ORACLE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU